Letters: ‘Stand by for spending cuts if Tories win election’ says reader

Mar 15 2010 by Sarah Bull, Huddersfield Daily Examiner

CONGRATULATIONS to Huddersfield Town on the superb display they put on in the first half of yesterday’s game against Norwich.

I have been watching them for many years and in pure footballing terms I have rarely seen better. Their movement on and off the ball and the accuracy of their passing, particularly in the first 25 minutes, was outstanding.

A great shame they never took the chances they created and that second half defensive lapses allowed Norwich to win by a flattering margin, but no-one could really have complained if they had gone in at half time winning by three or four goals to 1.

They made Norwich look very ordinary, particularly at the back. They took them apart and don’t forget Norwich made only one clear-cut chance and that didn’t come until the 33rd minute.

If they can keep alive the memory of that first half performance in their remaining games they must still have a great chance of making the top six.

Over the whole game, Huddersfield had a lot more possession that Norwich and I was annoyed after the match when the Norwich manager gave Huddersfield no credit for their first half performance.

Admittedly they killed off Huddersfield in a very professional way in the second half in the way they gook advantage of some schoolboy defending to take the chances that came their way.

But the Norwich manager’s statement that “our general game was excellent” was nonsense.

If he was happy with his side’s defensive performance in the first half – and again just after half-time when Huddersfield missed an easy chance to go two up and again when they were 2-1 down – then he is easily pleased.

I suspect that at half-time he gave his team a tongue-lashing and told them they were lucky to be still in the game.

I know it’s results that count and you don’t always get what you deserve in this life, but despite their second half lapses, Huddersfield deserved to take something from this game and they also deserve credit for the entertainment they provided for much of the game.

Stan Solomons

Cowcliffe

Reason for placards

IN reply to R J Bray, of Shelley, (Misguided Placards, Mailbag, March 4), the Tories have a clear lead in the polls, therefore the danger of massive public sector cuts is imminent.

That’s why unions are campaigning against Tory cuts.

The Tories are wanting to implement a no-frills local government policy run along the lines of a supermarket.

Shadow chancellor George Osborne wants to eliminate the budget deficit in four years, so he will reduce public spending by £178bn, equal to 150% of national spend on the NHS.

If the Tories succeed at national level there will be a massive decrease in funding to local councils. They will remove subsidies for public services – for example no free bus passes for senior citizens and no Kirklees passport scheme. This will hit the most vulnerable.

Mr Osborne has promised to start cuts in June 2010 at a time when the economy is weak. Chancellor Alistair Darling wants a slower reduction in spending to start in May 2011 when the economy is strong.

Labour may not be perfect but it is preferable to the alternative.

If you want to live in a ‘Netto’-style Great Britain, then vote Conservative. There is no point in change if it is for the worse.

Daisy Feldman

Huddersfield

‘Let them eat cake’

I HAVE just received details of my pension rise, £2.37.

A local bread at our local shops is 80p, so the rise will buy me three loaves of bread.

When Marie Antoinette hearing that the French people had no bread she remarked “let them eat cake.” I wonder if the Labour government will say that to us.

mr p makin

Berry Brow

Promoting the town

I BELIEVE the proposals to increase parking charges by the council in Huddersfield town centre is a step in the wrong direction.

They should be encouraging people to visit the town centre and for longer periods by reducing parking charges.

A lively, busy, bustling town centre lies at the heart of a good community and should be promoted.

If necessary, I would prefer to see funds raised by increasing the rent on commercial properties in town.

j s kennet

Longwood

Small is beautiful

FURTHER to the recent letter from Arthur Quarmby regarding the abolition of Kirklees, I wholeheartedly agree with every point he raises.

Kirklees is far too big, allowing for the mistakes and lack of accountability that we see reported time after time.

Sadly from the representation that we appear to receive, there appear to be very few councillors who seem to be involved for their fellow citizens.

It seems to be merely a platform for individuals for self promotion and the decisions that ensue seem to benefit anyone but local people.

A smaller Borough Council with a transparent structure has to be the only way forward.

With a smaller structure there would not be the duplicity or the ability to hide behind the monster this is now Kirklees.

I cannot be the only one who is “sick to the back-teeth” of fiasco after fiasco – St George’s Square, Castle Hill, Tesco, Lindley Moor and many others.

The finances are in a bad way because they have been managed badly.

The recession has not helped, but asking teachers to pay for parking in schools is not the answer and if it is that type of solution they are coming up with, then the lunatics are running the asylum.

Our local politicians have got us into one almighty mess and no-one seems able to stand up and say “sorry, we got it wrong!”

Peter Norton

Netherton

Democracy dented

MAY I add my voice to other correspondents in exposing the deficiency and corrosive effects of metropolitan borough councils.

I seem to remember we were sold the idea that they would deliver better services and be a lesser burden on council taxpayers at their conception at the time we had the Edward Heath government.

But, of course, they are anything but.

What they are is what has already been stated – a rubber stamp for Westminster district and very little real local democracy.

In my view the Tesco development and plans for Springwood are a done deal so it will be very difficult to see any change regardless of whoever we vote for come the local elections.

Nothing will change until we get better local democracy.

anthony f smith

Springwood

‘Brilliant consultant’

MR Suhail Anwar was my late husband Fred’s consultant and he was brilliant and very courteous in every way.

I second the comment, keep up the good work. We do need people like this gentleman to help fight the big C.

jennie roe

Denby Dale

Ebay worry

AFTER reading about the case of sadistic killer Sebastian Mercante in our local paper, one aspect of this case must be questioned and that is the fact that Mercante bought the knife he used to kill Carol Berry and wound her son with on Ebay.

Should people be allowed to sell weapons like this on Ebay?

I can recall years ago when I was a teenager I would buy air guns and air rifles, but then because of ill-use they were withdrawn.

More people use knives now as weapons and especially hunting knives like the one Mercante used, so why are they still easy to buy on Ebay where they can easily go into the wrong hands.

colin vause

Marsh

Misleading voting

HAVING received the Liberal Democrats Focus paper for the Lindley Ward, I felt I must write to make comment regarding the headline in that paper that it was only the Conservative councillors who voted with the Labour party for the latest outline planning application for Lindley Moor.

I believe that not also did the Conservatives vote for the application, but some Liberal councillors also voted for the application.

Having spoken to Kirklees Council to find the names of the councillors who voted and which party they represented, I was told only the hands were counted for or against the application and no record is kept of names or which party they represent.

I find this type of party political propaganda on local issues shows how divided our local councillors are.

If all our local councillors for the Lindley ward worked together as a united team for the campaign against the building on Lindley Moor then I think we would make more progress.

There is also a case where a party says one thing to the locals and when it comes to a vote at the planning meeting they do another.

Geoff Wood

Huddersfield